Hate, slander and abuse must not be turned into political weapons in the name of Islam, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a Facebook post Sunday. He said the identity of an Islamic party or movement must be demonstrated through conduct, ethics and practical work rather than slogans or emotion.
Anwar asked what purpose an Islamic party or movement served if it abandoned ethical principles, filled itself with hatred and used slander and abuse as daily weapons. He said movements operating in the name of Islamic values become weak when they rely on anger, emotion and provocation.
Anwar spoke Saturday night at a Three Generations Appreciation Dinner in Bangi organized jointly by Wadah Pemberdasan Umat Malaysia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia and the Malaysian National Association of Islamic Students. He emphasized knowledge and intellectual tradition as foundations of Islamic movements.
He said a national struggle could not depend only on emotion and excitement. Knowledge builds awareness and responsibility, he said, and must also be strengthened as the foundation of a Madani state.
Anwar also highlighted usrah and Islamic turath, or the traditional body of knowledge. He said public interest in Islam was growing, but many Islamic parties and organizations remained insufficiently connected to that intellectual heritage.
He expressed similar concerns in his opening address to the National Turath Scholars Conference on Sept. 19. Anwar said Islamic awareness and study were increasing while many movements and parties were becoming disconnected from traditional scholarship, causing disagreements to become harsh and cruel and leaving gaps in wisdom, patience and research.
He said the knowledge of major Islamic scholars should not merely be used to support predetermined statements but accepted as a basis for reasoning and thought. Islamic movement leaders should combine knowledge, ethics and principles, he said.
Anwar listed responsibilities for Islamic movements, including a firm stance against corruption, rejection of takfiri thinking, efforts to eliminate extreme poverty and respect for civility, ethics and national identity.
His rejection of takfiri thought addressed concerns that quickly declaring political or religious opponents outside the faith can deepen social division. Anwar instead emphasized knowledge, ethics and responsibility.
Anwar also discussed artificial intelligence at the Sept. 19 conference, saying it could become an important tool for Islamic outreach and scholarship but could cause harm without an ethical and principled framework.
His recent remarks emphasized three themes for Islamic movements: knowledge, ethics and responsible struggle. He said political or social movements acting in Islam’s name could not remain sustainable if based only on emotion, slogans or anger. Islamic intellectual heritage, reason, civility and public welfare should form their foundation.
The comments came amid political debate in Malaysia over Islam and Malay identity. His central message, however, was not support for or opposition to a particular party but a call for organizations using an Islamic identity to maintain ethics, knowledge and responsibility in political and social conduct.
Anwar’s message was that hatred, slander and abuse in Islam’s name cannot substitute for principled struggle, and that an Islamic movement’s credibility depends on scholarship, ethical conduct and practical contributions to society.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report